Various Artists - Talis / Into The Red

Various Artists - Talis / Into The Red
For fans of tough, retroactive techno, 2009 was an excellent—if not altogether paradigm-shifting—year, with a seemingly constant stream of above-average 12-inches and EPs flying in from all quarters (well, mostly Berlin, but a fair few other spots too). Judging by this offering, which sees three of the scene's most esteemed operatives laying down the goods for Belgian tastemakers Curle, 2010 lets set to be a case of (much) more of the same.

A-side "Talis" is a little less moody than you'd expect from a Peter Van Hoesen/Donato Dozzy collab—the first in what, one hopes, will be a long-standing partnership—and delves a good deal further into free-flowing dub techno territory than either man's solo output has done thus far. It works a treat, hitting a smart balance between aesthetic artifice—a skillfully modulated vocal forms its central motif, underpinned by taut kicks and slinky claps—and body-rocking dance floor swing. B-side "Into the Red," on the other had, goes straight for the gullet, wrapping bombastic, shard-like splices of melody around flatulent bass and a shuffling, stop-start 4/4 stomp. It's quite the tonic to what, unsurprisingly, is a painfully classy A-side, and played at the appropriate moment (around 4 AM on a Sunday morning), will be sure to have ravers in a perfect state of delirium.